New Mexico's prisoners are not allowed to use the Internet, but recently online profiles of state inmates have started popping up on a website for prison pen pals.

"It's against policy for offenders to use the Internet or to have a third party post something on the Internet for them," New Mexico Department of Corrections spokeswoman Alex Tomlin said.

That includes Facebook, Twitter and even the website writeaprisoner.com. But the policy hasn't stopped inmates from having their profiles somehow show up online, in the hopes that someone will write.

One man, Preston, has a profile on writeaprisoner.com that shows a picture where he's flexing shirtless. A description of his personality said he's easygoing, funny and goodhearted. What the profile doesn't state is that he's in prison for aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence.

Tomlin said that profile was uploaded by someone other than the inmate.

"It's clear to us that a family member has done this, or a friend, again against policy," Tomlin said.

The policy is in place because prisoners could use websites to make dangerous connections.

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"You could see how it's a slippery slope that if an offender didn't have good intentions," Tomlin said.

Criminals can use pen pals as liaisons to connect to other criminals, gangs, and even victims. That's why any prisoner found on any social media site is subject to disciplinary action.